1 AFTER THE STORM
When it rains a lot, a sedan was driving on quiet road.
A young woman sitting in it with a feeling of confusion.
The sedan was driving unstable, moving slowly on the road, describes the feelings of the driver.
A long the way Najma, the sedan driver, kept crying.
Tears never ran out of her eyelids.
It was hard raining hard outside,
the wind was blowing hard down the branches of the trees.
But Najma still drove her sedan.
She really doesn't care, although the surrounding scenery is no longer visible to the houses of the residents, is no longer visible to noisy life.
Everything changed to silence and darkness, only scary forests remained.
This street is really quiet, not many vehicless pass.
Long drove, the sedan only passed 3-4 vehicless.
This grove of forests stretches for tens kilometers.
With minimal street lighting, Najma must be ready is suddenly there is a turn.
The atmosphere of silence made Najma's mind even more confusion.
Now countless times, the shadows flashed across her mind.
Starting from the shadow of a young woman, she is a several years older than the Najma.
She went to the Najma and apologize, cause it can't publish Najma novel again.
Continued in the second shadow,
this time it was a middle aged woman who was chatting with this coworkers.
She said that the publisher cannot accept Najma script,
because of the Najma's bad reputation.
The news is that the author has a relationship with a married man.
Lastly in the third shadow, a young man with glasses sat in front of her.
Finally he admitted that he is married.
Than the shadows disappeared,
and she woke up that the sedan has turned to the shoulder of the road.
The Najma sedan drove near a tree shading the road.
Najma immediately slammed on the brakes. Until only a few inches from the tree, the speed of the sedan has been stopped.
Najma was crying violently.
Great anger and dissapointment mixed into one, crushes the heart.
For a few minutes, the sedan didn't move. Najma's tears were dripping more and more profusely.
Then a cell phone tone rang.
She don't know where the cellphone is, only heard the dial tone.
She was not looking for an immediate answer. She ignored it.
Najma puts face on steering wheel, as if not hearing the cell phone tone.
When she felt tired because the crying never stopped, Najma started the sedan engine, continue the journey again.
But her mind began to control, now disturbed by annoying stomach noises.
Since morning her stomach hasn't been filled with anything anymore.
Najma looked arround, for meters it was just a lush forest. There has not been any sign of human except herself.
After tens of kilometers drove, bright spot comes too.
Gradually, one by one the houses of the residents seemed to be line up.
Until finally she saw an old shop on the side of the road.
Najma immediately pulled over the sedan, park it in front of the shop.
She staggered away, physically and psychologically are weak, because of the problems that come insistently.
She bought a packet of slightly hard textured bread and a bottle of mineral water.
The name is also a small shop, not many items available there.
Then maybe because she wasn't careful or because her body is weak, when she came out of the shop she nearly fell.
When stepping, her leg caught a pile of cardboard in front of the shop.
Lucky she was able to straighten up again soon, although the mineral water bottle and slightly hard textured bread slipped out the hand.
Even the mineral water bottle rolled away to the front of the shop.
A young man with a thin body and short beard took the bottle.
It just so happened that the bottle was rolling near his reach.
When the Najma approaches, he handed the mineral water bottle to her.
"Thank you," said Najma immediately accept it.
Then she left and got into the sedan again.
"I hope the girl is safe until the destination. She staggered, how can she drive the car?," said the old man of the shop owner noticed Najma.
The skinny man also stared at Najma in silence.
Unconsciously her eyes looked at the pain of Najma, who slowly disappeared into the sedan.
Until then the shop owner's question broke the focus of his attention.
"Sayyid, long time no stop by here," said the shop owner greeting Sayyid, the name of the thin young man.
The sedan is still parked in front of the shop.
From the sedan glass looks Najma sitting in it, was struggling to swallow the pieces of bread.
It's slightly hard texture makes it difficult to swallow. With drinking mineral water, finally some of the bread she could swallow.
The appearance of Najma may disappear from sight, but the look that was left behind has made an impression on Sayyid's mind.
Sayyid's eyes continued to lurk, until the sedan took off from the front of the shop.
Najma has driven the sedan.
Not many pieces of bread she ate,
at least that's enough to reduce hunger.
The journey in on again, do not know how many kilometers it took to arrive at destination.
For a long time the sedan just drove without as if there was a destination.
Traveled following the contours of the road that began to enter the mountainous area.
Now she can see again the simple country houses, between the terraces of rice fields.
Way up there, the sky slowly brightened up. The intensity of the rain has descreased drastically.
Najma does not stop accelerating the sedan.
A relief grew when in the distance she saw a food stall building,
A building is that was quite conspicuous among the surroundings. Fragrant Pandanus shop, that's the name.
Arriving in front of the stall,
Najma hurried out of the sedan.
At a fast step, she clasped her hands on her body. It was very cold outside, thick fog was forming everywhere.
At that time the stall was quiet, seen from the number of empty tables.
Najma sat at the very inside of the stall,
on the chair closest to the fireplace.
"Assalamu'alaikum, welcome to Fragrant Pandanus. Is there anything i can help, Miss?," said a stall employee approaching the Najma table.
"Wa'alaikumsalam, wait a minute," Najma answer while taking the menu book.
Najma glanced at the contents of the menu book, sorting about foods and drinks that can restore her appetite.
"I want fried rice and ginger drink," said Najma whose order was immediately recorded by Asma, the name written on the young girl's clothes.
It only takes a few minutes,
Najma order's were presented on the table.
Served warm plus the aroma is very delicious, very suitable to be eat in cold weather like that time.
First the najma drank the ginger drink, warm...very comfortable in the body. Continues, she tasted fried rice dish. In good condition, of course, she could easily finish the dish.
But the evening is different,
Najma forced herself to swallow the rice grains.
The stall door moved.
Someone entered it, a thin man.
Correctly, he is Sayyid, a young man whom the Najma met at an old shop some time before.
But Najma paid no attention to it, she was busy with her own sadness.
Different from Sayyid, for so long only a few mouthfuls were eaten.
But she did not give up, she realized that her stomach had to be filled enough.
Of course, Najma doesn't know that Sayyid had noticed her presence all along.
Since arriving at the stall,
Sayyid goes to the cashier, to check sales for the day.
But all that time in silence, often the head turns to the side, looked into those sad eyes.
"Excuse me, Miss. Today there is a hot chocolate drink promotion. And congrats! you get one of them," said Asma suddenly came again while carrying a cup of drink that was still steaming.
"Oo...Thank you," Najma answered without asked any more, just saw the cup lying on the table.
In the Fragrant Pandanus, there is a hot chocolate drink promotion. Itwas only a trick by Sayyid who sympathized with Najma. At least some say that chocolate can relax the mind.
"Boss, the fish delivery car is coming," said a stall employee named Putra approaching Sayyid.
As if waiting for a long time, Sayyid decided to immediately go out to meet the fish delivery officer.
A moment later,
the sound of the call to prayer was heard. Najma gets up, stepped towards the cashier.
After making the payment,
she went to the room prayer to the right of the stall.
She took ablution water,
wet the face that had been worn by tears. Clean hands that have been tired of driving tens of kilometers.
Wet the head that was short of breath thinking about life's never-ending problems.
Immediately the tears spilled, a moment after the sentence that glorified His greatness was spoken. There are many complaints that a powerless servant wants to convey to The Almighty Creator.
At times like that, the skinny man entered the room prayer. In the silence of the payer room, no one both the of them. Sayyid hears Najma crying.
Sayyid is stunned, his heart was touched as if he felt the sorrow of the Najma.
In a heart that empathizes, Sayyid tries to stay focused on starting the prayer.
After prayers, not forgetting to say hopes and wishes, there is also a hope for the young woman with beautiful eyebrows.
When getting up, to continue worldly life, Sayyid did not find any more Najma in the room.
Sayyid didn't give up, he came out of the room prayer. Under the bright full moon, he could see the young woman in the hijab getting into the sedan.
Where will the Najma continue her journey? Tens of kilometers have been passed. But there is no sign of where the sedan will be anchored.
It doesn't take much time, because a moment later the riddle was answered.
15 minutes after leaving the fragrant pandanus, Najma is increasingly looking arround.
Repeatedly a row of rural alleys came into view, Najma pays close attention to each nameplate attached to the tops of the gate.
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